"He's an amazing guy. I was a bit surprised when we signed him. I wasn't sure what it'd be like. I didn't think one person could affect the team the way he's done. From minute one, I think the standards really rose because he does everything to 100%. It's kind of like, well if he's got that amazing career and he's still doing everything perfectly, why wouldn't we? And I think it just sort of lifted the standards."
"I mean literally everything, from the work in the gym to the standards, he puts out on the training pitch. You know we've just been outside, it can be cold and wet and but he's 100% focused and giving everything in training. So when some of us boys may be not putting that work in and you see him doing it, it's unacceptable for us. If he's doing it, he's won titles and played hundreds of games in the Premier League. Then why shouldn't we? It's lifted everyone."
Granit Xhaka, 33, joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen and was made captain. His leadership and work-rate raised standards from day one, boosting training intensity and professionalism. Sunderland sit eighth in the Premier League, two points off the top four, following a 1-0 derby win over Newcastle. Centre-back Dan Ballard, a 26-year-old who was in Arsenal's academy, credits Xhaka's 100% focus, gym work and match experience with creating a winning mentality that made teammates raise their own standards. Sunderland have won seven and lost four of 16 league games. Ballard joined Sunderland in 2022 and was instrumental in promotion.
Read at www.bbc.com
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